On June 23 Ed Sheeranreleased his sophomore album, X. Ahead of the album's release, the GRAMMY-nominated British singer/songwriter participated in an exclusive GRAMMY.com interview, discussing how he balanced songwriting and touring to record X, his desire to grow as an artist and the pressure that comes with releasing a sophomore album, among other topics.

"If you look at any act in history, if they have a massive first album, if they have a huge second album, they go global … from Coldplay to Adele to Eminem," said Sheeran. "I want to keep building and growing … so it is a terrifying thing that you have to get the right songs at the right time and record them the right way."

Hailing from Halifax, England, Sheeran cites artists such as Eminem, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, and Damien Rice as influences. In 2005 he released an EP, The Orange Room, and subsequently moved to London. After inking a deal with Elton John's management company, Rocket Music, Sheeran released his debut album, +, in 2011. The 12-track set rose to No. 5 on the Billboard 200 on the strength of the hit single, "The A Team," which garnered Sheeran a 2012 GRAMMY nomination for Song Of The Year. For 2013 Sheeran earned a Best New Artist GRAMMY nomination and received an Album Of The Year nod for his collaboration with Taylor Swift on "Everything Has Changed," which is featured on her 2012 No. 1 album, Red.

X (pronounced "multiply") features 12 tracks, including the Pharrell Williams-produced hit "Sing" as well as collaborations with GRAMMY-winning producers Jeff Bhasker and Rick Rubin, among others.

Following select international tour dates, Sheeran will kick off his first North American headlining tour on Aug. 21 in Seattle, with dates scheduled through September.

Sheeran's tour will kick off Aug. 18 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., hitting other major markets such as New Orleans, Minneapolis, Dallas, and Philadelphia. He'll also play Rogers Center in Toronto, the lone Canadian date on the trek.

Ed Sheeran's "Shape Of You" Takes Spotify First From Drake

Everything is up for Ed Sheeran who bumped Drake from the top spot on Spotify's most-streamed song leaderboard. "Shape Of You" climbed to more than 1.318 billion streams, while "One Dance" didn't keep up at more than 1.317 billion — a difference of more than a million streams. You might say for Sheeran that everything is "Perfect."

Billboard notes back in March when Sheeran's Divide album was released it received the most first-day streams, more than 56 million, and "Shape Of You" at the same time had the best one-day Spotify record with 10 million.

The same observant eye noted the other leaderboard Sheeran has yet to top — most-streamed artist overall, a title Drake still holds. It's like an uphill race for most likable, run between two super likables.

Ed Sheeran, U2 Cancel St. Louis Shows Amid Protests

The GRAMMY winners were each forced to cancel shows in St. Louis over the weekend due to safety concerns

Brian Haack

GRAMMYs

Sep 18, 2017 - 4:18 pm

Security considerations and concerns over the potential safety of fans and concertgoers led both U2 and Ed Sheeran to cancel their shows in St. Louis over the past weekend amid the ongoing public protests taking place in the city.

The promoters for Sheeran's Sept. 17 show at Scottrade Center released a statement saying, "With the safety of the fans being of upmost concern, and after consulting with local officials … we felt it was in everyone’s best interest to cancel Sunday night’s show."

U2's camp released a similar statement when announcing the cancellation of their Sept. 16 performance at the Dome At America's Center, saying, "We cannot in good conscience risk our fans' safety by proceeding with tonight's concert."

Meanwhile, Bono, took to Instagram to express his sorrow over the circumstances that necessitated the show's cancellation, sharing a hand-drawn picture of the city's iconic Gateway Arch, and sharing a poignant quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Ticket holders for the cancelled shows will be given refunds, and it is unknown at this time when or if the shows will be rescheduled.

Kendrick Lamar, Ed Sheeran: 2017 MTV VMAs Winner List

You saw the show, now take a look at the list of winners from the 2017 VMAs in Los Angeles

GRAMMYs

Aug 27, 2017 - 9:09 pm

Kendrick Lamar led the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards field with six wins. Fifth Harmony, Zayn and Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, and Twenty One Pilots were also among those taking home awards. GRAMMY winner Pink was honored with the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award.

Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of The Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for The Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by The Recording Academy. BELIEVE IN MUSIC is a trademark and/or registered trademark of National Association of Music Merchants, Inc. Used under license.